Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva suffered a major political setback Wednesday when the nation’s Senate voted down his Supreme Court appointment in an unprecedented rejection spanning more than a century.
The Senate cast 42 votes against Jorge Messias, the country’s solicitor-general since 2023 and a trusted legal adviser to Lula, while only 34 lawmakers supported the nomination. The appointment required 41 favorable votes to succeed.
President Lula, who is campaigning for a fourth non-consecutive term in the upcoming October election, had selected Messias to fill the vacancy left by Luís Roberto Barroso’s resignation last November. The Supreme Court has been functioning with just 10 justices since Barroso’s departure.
The 46-year-old Messias had previously gained approval from a Senate committee, but lawmakers ultimately rejected him in a confidential ballot by the full chamber.
Messias received backing from other Supreme Court justices in addition to President Lula, and made efforts to win support from evangelical legislators who share his religious background.
The president must now select a different candidate, who will face the same confirmation process and Senate vote.
The last instance of Brazil’s Senate turning down a Supreme Court nomination occurred in 1894 during the presidency of Floriano Peixoto, the nation’s second president, amid conflicts with congressional leaders.
